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The unsought Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in Malaysia's education system, particularly at primary levels. Due to this, schools have been commanded to close immediately by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Malaysian primary English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers have to conduct their teaching virtually via Google Meet under the government's policy, where all teachers are provided with a Gmail address. The use of Google Meet is not well studied not only in primary schools, but also in the local environment. Therefore, this quantitative research was embarked to look into the factors that influence the integration of Google Meet among primary ESL teachers. Participants (n=123) were selected through purposive sampling based on their teaching option (TESL optionists and non-TESL optionists), teaching ESL in primary schools (n=12) located in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia. A 5-point Likert scale survey questionnaire adapted from previous studies was used. The factors of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use towards the use of behaviour in integrating Google Meet were testified. The main findings in descriptive statistics indicated that majority of the primary ESL teachers have shown a positive attitude towards the use of Google Meet. However, some respondents remarkably noted that school administrators should render necessary assistance. The findings of this study could provide better insights for English teachers and school authority on the measures to integrate Google Meet in the teaching and learning of English at primary schools. If Google Meet is well integrated, pupils will benefit from this platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that is endemic in more than 100 countries and has the highest incidence among infectious diseases in Malaysia. The increase of dengue fever cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and the movement control order (MCO) highlighted the necessity to assess the dengue preventive practices among the population. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of dengue preventive practices and its associated factors among residents in a residential area in Johor, Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 303 respondents from a Johor residential area between May and June 2021. A validated self-administered questionnaire was created using google forms and distributed to the respondents via WhatsApp. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: (i) Sociodemographic characteristics and history of dengue fever, (ii) dengue preventive practices, and (iii) six constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM). The association between the dependent and independent variables were examined using multiple logistic regression with a significant level set at less than 0.05. Result: About half of the respondents have a good level of dengue preventive practices. Respondents with a history of dengue fever (aOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1–4.2, p = 0.033), low perceived susceptibility (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.0, p = 0.018), high self-efficacy (aOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0–2.8, p = 0.045), and high cues to take action (aOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.5–4.2, p < 0.001) had higher odds of practicing good dengue preventive measures. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a moderate level of dengue preventive practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, a stronger dengue control programme is recommended by focusing on cues to take action, self-efficacy, and recruiting those with a history of dengue fever to assist health authorities in promoting good dengue preventive practices in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severity of Covid-19 outbreak caused it to be declared a pandemic and the Malaysian government had to implement movement control order (MCO). MCO includes restriction on outdoor activities and temporary shutdown of fitness centres. Sports enthusiasts among community may experience uneasy phenomenon as this order affecting their exercises routines. To some extent, it does affect them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Various efforts were made to allow these group to engage in physical exercise. One of the efforts is engaging in live virtual physical exercise (VPE) through social media or recorded videos. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the relationship between VPE and mental health status during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown situation. In this quantitative designed study, 84 participants were recruited randomly within Johor community using snowball effect strategy. DASS-21 questionnaire was used to measure mental health status and administered online for data collection. SPSS software was used for descriptive statistic and SmartPLS software was used to test the structural equation model between the variables. Findings showed significant decreases in the level of stress, anxiety, and depression after joining the VPE programme during MCO. The depression scale was significantly corelated to stress and anxiety before and after involvement with VPE programme. Overall, participants has improved mental health status by engaging with the VPE programme during the lockdown order. This study is expected to shed some light on the future of physical activities via technology and online platform, their influence towards healthy lifestyle and the mental status of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Johor Port and Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) are two adjacent seaports act as backbone of the Malaysian international trade and economy. The probability of these seaports catering the same client is very high and may cause overlapping in the hinterland area. This will further result in the waste of resources, congestion in traffic and reducing the competitiveness of seaports. The situation worsened during Covid-19 outbreak as these two seaports faced issues related to capacity and efficiency. This paper employs geoeconomics concept to assist these seaports to design a post Covid-19 recovery plan for these seaports via temporal, spatial and policy taxonomies. An explanatory sequential mixed method design has been employed to meet aims of the paper. The results show that hinterlands in the Southern region are important as production centres, providing logistics efficiency and improving the connectivity. Given the importance of service recovery to continue patronage of these seaports among customers, revitalising 4th industrial revolution and materialising inland capacity are additional post Covid-19 recovery strategies for improved seaport performance from a policy and spatial taxonomies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), or 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), was declared as pandemic in early 2020. While several studies reported the short-term adverse events (AE) of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, medium-term AE have not been extensively evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the 6-month side effect profiles of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary hospital. Hospital workers who received two doses of the Cominarty (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine, six months post-vaccination, were invited to participate in this study. All participants completed a self-reported survey assessing AEs occurrence and severity, duration of onset and recovery and if they previously reported these AEs. Results: Of the 670 respondents who completed the survey, 229 (34.2%) experienced at least one AEs, with a total of 937 AEs reported during the 6-month period. After the first dose, the most common reported localized symptoms were pain (n = 106, 27.2%), swelling (n = 38, 9.8%) and erythematous (n = 12, 3.1%) at injection site. Systemic symptoms reported include fatigue (n = 72, 18.5%), fever (n = 55, 14.1%) and headache (n = 46, 11.8%). After the second dose, pain at site of injection (n = 112, 20.4%), swelling (n = 42, 7.7%) and erythematous (n = 14, 2.6%) were among the localized AE reported, while fever (n = 121, 22.1%), fatigue (n = 101, 18.4%) and headache (n = 61, 11.1%) were the most common systemic AE. The proportion of respondents who experienced moderate (first dose: 156 events; second dose: 272 events) and severe (1st dose: 21 events; 2nd dose: 30 events) AEs were higher after the second dose. Most AEs commonly resolved within 1–2 days, and none required hospitalization. No new onset of AE was observed 7 days post-vaccination. A total of 137 (59.8%) participants did not proceed to formal AE reporting. Conclusion: Most of the AEs reported were of mild to moderate intensity and short-term, consistent with those reported in previous studies. No medium-term finding was detected in the survey. AE reporting was not routinely performed, necessitating the attention of health authorities in order to enhance pharmacovigilance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - The global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused a negative impact on the global economy. Customers' purchasing habits are also shifting from traditional store visits to online store purchases. Millennials or Generation Y constitute a large proportion of consumers across the global digital space. Hence, the main objective of this study is to examine the purchase intention of millennials towards online fashion stores during COVID-19 pandemic. Methodologies/Technique - A set of self-administered questionnaires has been distributed to 230 respondents which age range from 20 years old to 40 years old in three states of Malaysia which are Johor, Melaka, and Selangor. The five independent variables which are fashion innovativeness, perceived security, perceived value, information quality and cost saving have been tested on their relationship towards the dependent variable which is purchasing intention towards online fashion. The collected data were keyed into SPSS version 25 and followed by using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM 3.3.3) to assess the hypothesis. Findings - The research findings indicated that the key factors of fashion innovativeness, information quality and cost saving which have significant relationship towards the millennials' purchase intention from online fashion stores during COVID-19 pandemic. Novelty - To the authors' knowledge, this is the first methodological study which include the five independent variables to examine millennial's purchasing intention towards online fashion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this research will help e-retailers of online fashion stores understand the factors that influence millennials' purchase intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Johor–Singapore Causeway was inaugurated on 28 June 1924. With this, Singapore became physically connected to the Malay Peninsula via a 1,056-metre-long raised track across the Johor Strait. Since then, this understated piece of infrastructure has come to underpin many aspects of life in Singapore and Malaysia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 300,000 people crossed between Malaysia and Singapore via the Causeway every day, making it one of the busiest border crossings in the world, and perhaps the busiest of all in Southeast Asia. The reasons for this transborder travel included daily commutes for work, access to education and health services, as well as shopping and leisure. In addition, people crossed the Causeway to then use either Singapore or Johor as a gateway to destinations further afield. While the pandemic curtailed almost all cross-border movement of people, as of early 2023 trips across the Causeway were approaching their pre-COVID-19 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the wave of digitalization, concocted an unprecedented challenge for retailers all over the world. Over 300,000 SMEs closed down within the first eight months of the first Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia in the year 2020. Furthermore, Malaysia was slow in the evolution process as far as digitalization is concerned. E-wallets, e-commerce, and online shopping were not accepted as the norm or even considered necessary for many, but it all changed during the lockdown due to the pandemic. The less expected impacts include global logistical costs increment, supply chain interruptions, and disrupted manpower allocation, which should also serve as a wake-up call for Malaysian retailers to rethink their business models and to transform them, in order to survive in the market. This article aims to study the Business Model Transformation of the Electrical Appliances Retail Industry in Johor, Malaysia with qualitative methodology using thematic analysis to analyse the data collected. Several members of Johor Electrical Appliances Dealers Association (JEADA) will be studied to identify the constructs of each business' transformation, whether obvious or underlying. As of the year 2020, the association has one hundred and fifteen (115) members from all over the state of Johor. Three (3) focus groups of five members each are planned. The focus groups are designed to include members of a similar level, such as business owners, strategic management members, and second generations or heir apparent to the businesses. In addition, in-depth interviews are planned to be carried out with five electrical business owners. However, the in-depth interview will continue with additional business owners until saturation point is achieved, that is, the responses given are similar and no new information is obtained. Social research methods will also be adopted here, such as site surveys and field research at the participants' physical outlets, to support or enhance the data collected. The thematic analysis method is deemed appropriate here because of the vast, fresh data that can be collected in these interviews, the concepts need to be sorted into broad themes or blocks. The blocks of Business Model Canvas will be used after the data collection, to funnel the various transformations ideas or experiences into one of nine categories: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. However, the data collected might reveal newer categories of the business models utilized by SMEs. The expected outcome of the paper is the equifinality of business survival, but we hope to discover an emerging model that can be replicated by struggling SMEs in the same or a similar industry. Resources are scarce in SMEs, especially timeand finance-wise. SMEs need to know what to focus on. The emergent model aspires to provide new angles and dimensions for business owners, with a certain degree of ready market acceptance and hence, can be translated to practical industrial applications especially during or post-pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abrupt shift in teaching and learning methods from physical classes to online classes has created a new norm for teachers and students and has had an impact on them, particularly teachers especially in post pandemic era. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the level of readiness in terms of knowledge, literacy, and teacher attitudes toward digital transformation in education. The survey method was used in this study to determine the relationship between the independent variable, digital transformation in education, and the dependent variable, level of readiness in terms of knowledge, literacy, and teacher attitude. In this study, 377 rural primary school teachers from the state of Johor were asked to complete a questionnaire. Overall, the study's findings revealed a moderately high level of readiness in terms of knowledge, literacy and teacher's attitudes toward digital transformation in education. As an outcome of this research, teachers and educators should seize the opportunity to prepare themselves and their students in various aspects of digital transformation in order to further strengthen Malaysia's education system. This is also supporting the SDG targets 4.3 and 4.4 within the context of Asia-Pacific and under the overarching theme of "Transforming Learning: Meeting the skills demand to achieve the SDGs in the Asia-Pacific". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The workload among teachers is increasingly challenging every year with the need for virtual learning. This condition affects teacher's behavior in the workplace such as increased burnout and lack of work engagement. Therefore, this study identifies the relationship between burnout and work engagement among teachers in several secondary schools in Johor. The quantitative study design was used using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). The sample was 95 secondary school teachers. The results from the correlation analysis showed that the dimensions of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization had a significant negative relationship with work engagement, while personal achievement had a significant positive relationship with work engagement among teachers. This study provides added value to the school as well as future researchers in planning and implementing appropriate strategies or interventions to reduce burnout and further increase work engagement among teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between personality and career choice factors among employees in an electric power company in Johor. This study was also conducted to find out the type of personality possessed by the employees in the electric power plant and the factors that motivate the employees when they make career choices. The instrument used to collect data in this study is a questionnaire. The first Self-Directed Search-Form Easy (SDS-E) questionnaire involved six personality types namely realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional personalities. The career choice factor questionnaire involving four factors namely reward, interest, family, and peer factors were also used in this study. The sample for this study was a total of 97 employees who were selected using random sampling technique from an electric power company. Descriptive methods in terms of percentage and mean were used in this study and found that the most dominant personality possessed by electric power workers is social personality and the highest driving factor of career choice is family factor. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between personality type and career selection factors. The findings of the study found that there was a negative relationship (r = -0.048) between personality type and career choice factors. This study has provided a new perspective on the relationship between personality type and career choice factors, especially among employees in electric power companies who may require more skills than personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2008 General Election (GE), Barisan Nasional (BN) has experienced a steady decline - particularly among the urban voters and the youth, including the Malays. Accordingly, the BN government fell in the 2018 GE before returning to Putrajaya in March 2020 (in the Muhyiddin Yassin administration) and in August 2021 (the Ismail Sabri administration) through a political pact with the National Alliance (PN). In the 2022 GE, scheduled in November, the BN Chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi decided for the BN to go solo in the election and caused an intense multi-cornered fight throughout the country. Ahmad Zahid's confidence, however, was not without basis. In late 2021, a state election took place in Melaka, before another state election in Johor in March 2022. The BN went alone in these elections and recaptured both of the states from the Pakatan Harapan (PH). Surprisingly, BN recorded poor performance in the 2022 GE, winning only 30 parliamentary constituencies, in contrast to 79 seats in the 2018 GE, out of the total of 222 seats. Based on field research and secondary sources, this article analyses the competition for the Malay vote in the 2022 GE, involving issues and campaigning strategies among the main parties/coalitions, by exploring the factors that shape and change Malay voting patterns in the election. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited data on the survival of anorectal malformation (ARM) patients from lower- and middle-income countries is available. This retrospective population-based study from the State of Johor, Malaysia, determines the incidence, mortality rate, and survival of ARM patients and factors associated with mortality. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the survival of ARM patients at 1, 5, and 10 years. In addition, multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to analyze mortality-related factors. There were 175 ARM patients among 803,850 live births, giving an overall ARM incidence of 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9 to 2.5) per 10,000 live births. The male-to-female ratio was 1.5:1. There were 122 (69%) non-isolated ARM, of which 41 were Trisomy-21 and 34 had VACTERL association. Seventy-three (42%) had congenital heart disease (CHD), with 38 severe and 35 non-severe CHD. Overall, 33 (19%) patients died, with a median age of death of 5.7 months (interquartile range (IQR) 25 days to 11.2 months). The overall estimated 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rate for ARM patients was 82% (95% CI, 76–89%), 77% (95% CI, 70–84%), and 77% (95% CI, 70–84%), respectively. Univariate analysis shows that non-isolated ARM, VACTERL association, and severe CHD were associated with mortality. However, only severe CHD is the independent factor associated with mortality, with a hazard ratio of 4.0 (95% CI, 1.9–8.4). Conclusion: CHD is common among ARM patients, and one in five ARM patients had a severe cardiac defect, significantly affecting their survival. What is Known: • VACTERL association and congenital heart disease are common in patient with anorectal malformation. • Low birth weight and prematurity are associated with a lower rate of survival. What is New: • Congenital heart disease is common in ARM patients in a middle-income country. • Severe congenital heart disease plays a significant role in the survival of patients with an anorectal malformation in lower- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Primate population assessment relies heavily on ecological techniques such as camera traps, distance sampling, and passive acoustic detection. Although these techniques have proven effective in estimating the number of individuals and primate groups, challenges arise when attempting to scale them up to larger areas such as districts, states, or national levels. This study aims to evaluate the reliability of public responses in determining the primate population at district level. Specifically, an online survey was designed to collect information from the public regarding the primate population within their respective areas of knowledge, focusing on Muar district in Johor, Malaysia. This district comprises of 12 sub-districts ('Mukims'). The survey was conducted over two consecutive months (February to March 2021). A combination of online social media platforms and face-to-face interviews was employed to distribute the survey and successfully gathered responses from 257 respondents. The data collected encompassed species availability, habitat availability, individual primate counts and human-primate conflicts. Chi-squared analysis, point biserial correlation, descriptive statistics and alpha diversity indices were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that Macaca fascicularis reported the highest number of individuals and was predominantly present across all sub-districts. This species also frequently engaged in conflicts with humans, primarily as agricultural pests and residential nuisances. The method described herein proved effective in providing reliable tests for species presence-absence, and collecting human-wildlife conflict data with specific geographical locations. However, further improvements in the design are required to more accurately evaluate the primate populations. Nonetheless, this method serves as a promising pilot approach for estimating wildlife populations at the state level, offering a rapid, cost-effective, and extensive alternative to traditional ecological techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In analyzing the national trend of Malaysian politics, Johor politics have received special consideration for a long time. Johor's political significance is also based on the state's ethnic diversity, closely resembling the national demographic composition. The triumph of the National Front (BN) in the Johor State Elections in 2022 is a catalyst for the 15th General Election Malaysia (GE-15) to be held, which is thought to be favorable to UMNO-BN. However, in GE-15, held eight months later, UMNO-BN failed to continue its winning momentum in Johor. Based on this development, it is an intriguing occurrence to analyze the dynamics of Johor's varied political trends. This study conducted qualitatively found that GE-15 in Johor shows a dynamic trend in the correlation between technical and sentimental factors that drive its trajectory. Overall, GE-15 in Johor is more overshadowed by national sentiment than local sentiment, which plays a less significant influence. Supported by sentimental factors, technical factors such as the split of the Malay vote in some urban and semi-urban areas gave The Alliance of Hope (PH) an advantage through the Chinese vote. BN and The National Alliance (PN) failed to dominate urban and semi-urban areas since the Malay vote was split into three factions. In rural areas, the tendency of BN voters to shift to PN voters continues to expand. Even though UMNO won the areas, GE-15 data indicates the party's support is declining, and has become critical of UMNO. Based on the results of the GE-15 in Johor, this article argues that Johor no longer serves as UMNO's bastion; instead, this status began to catch up with PH, which is the voter's choice in most urban and semi-urban areas due to the vote division of the Malays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of interactive whiteboard (IWB) with activity theory (AT) towards year five students’ motivation and performance in learning Science. This study explores the use and the effects of IWB in learning Science among Year 5 students. Learning activities that are based on Activity Theory approach have been designed to increase students’ motivation and performance in learning Science. Students' learning process and perceptions was analayse too. This study uses a quasi-experimental research design. The data collection process took about 4 weeks where a total of 40 students were selected as the sample of this research. The sample of this study consisted of Year 5 students of primary schools in Segamat District, Johor. Data were obtained through several instruments such as questionnaires and pre-test and post-test. Teaching and learning activities by using interactive whiteboard (IWB) with activity theory (AT) were designed and carry out during the research. The findings of this study will provide a vital contribution to the education field by giving a new option of choosing IWB to enhance teaching and learning process. Overall, The use of IWB integrated with Activity Theory in learning Science is able to increase students’ learning motivation. Students do better in class when they are motivated and have a positive attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With cognizance to firms' heterogeneity in an industry, this paper employs the most recent, unpublished and large-scale firm-level data of 14,687 manufacturing firms in Malaysia in 2015 to revisit the drivers of manufacturing exports. Applying the OLS and logistic regressions, we observed a strong positive relationship between a firm's labor productivity and export intensity. Firms' foreign ownership, size and age are positively connected to their export competitiveness. The incorporation of location variables into the regression reveals that firms in the Southern peninsula of Malaysia (e.g., Johor) have a positive effect and demonstrate the highest probability to engage in export activities. Our study is informative to trade policymakers on the key drivers of manufacturing exports, providing references to not only Malaysia, but other economies in Eastern Asia and developing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malaysia, most organizations face many challenges to manage virtual team especially in the current hybrid working environment. Moreover, studies on virtual team have been lacking and majority of them have been focusing more on large companies. Using foresight tools, drivers, readiness and future trends of virtual team adoption among medium sized company in Malaysia was explored. A total of 31 medium sized companies located in Johor Malaysia participated in this study. STEEPV analysis was used to identify the key drivers of virtual team adoption. These identified drivers were used in the impact-uncertainty analysis. Four future scenarios were generated by top two drivers which are 'connectivity between interpersonal relationships' and 'High rapid economic development'. Data from Technology Readiness Index (TRI) indicated that majority of respondents were in favor of virtual teams' adoption which support the likelihood of future scenario number one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air quality at two different land-use types in Johore is studied to ascertain whether there are differences between them. Low vegetation density with Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 0.14 to 0.16 represents industrial Pasir Gudang, in contrast to higher EVI (0.42 to 0.65) in agricultural Kota Tinggi. Descriptive statistics and the t-test analysed the air quality differences for pollutants such as suspended particulates (PM10), Air Pollution Index (API), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide. Generally, Pasir Gudang is slightly polluted than Kota Tinggi, except for the higher ozone readings in Kota Tinggi formed from the chemical reactions in the sunlight of volatile organic compounds released by the oil palm vegetation. The air quality deteriorated during the transboundary haze events in 2013 and 2015, with a maximumvalue of PM10 at 459 µg/m³ in Pasir Gudang and 438 µg/m³ in Kota Tinggi, in contrast to 351 µg/m³ (Pasir Gudang) and 244 µg/m³ in Kota Tinggi in 2015. These daily values exceed the New Malaysian Ambient Air Quality Standard (2020) criteria that concurrently attained dangerous API levels in 2013 and very unhealthy levels in 2015. T-test results show air quality differed between the two locations when there is no haze, however during the haze event in 2013, the average value of API and PM10 indicate the air quality was from the same population. This information may benefit the policymakers and public on how polluted the ambient air is when cross-border haze occurs that can be detrimental to their health thereby increase their awareness of the air quality during haze-free conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]